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Youth Exchange Everyman
Data: 15-07 - 22-07
Data: 15-07 - 22-07
Youth Exchange Act in a Healthy Way
Data: 11-08 - 20-08
Data: 11-08 - 20-08
Training Course Conflict Management
Data: 05-10 - 15-10
Data: 05-10 - 15-10
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Donau is a magazine about Eastern Europe, published by Platform Spartak. In three editions per year, Donau features news reports, interviews and background stories on cultures, societies and politics from Hungary to Greece and from Albania tot Turkey.
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This edition marks the 10th anniversary of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival Dokufest in Prizren. From 23-31 July this beautiful town in the south of Kosovo is transformed into DokuCity, with several large outdoor and indoor cinemas, screenings on the walls of the Kala castle and many other special locations in the old centre. There is a photo exposition in the old hamam, an extensive workshop program, DokuKids and afterparties with live music.
This is my first visit to DokuFest and Prizren in general, but after being here for just three days I already feel at home in this picturesque city with it’s cobblestone streets, the bars along the river Drin, the many beautiful old mosques and the local youth strolling around the streets at night.
DokuFest is probably the largest cultural event of Kosovo, and has a big outreach in the region. Filmmakers press and visitors from all over the world gather in Prizren to meet each other, visit screenings and attend workshops. The whole city is transformed into a Walhalla for documentary and short movie-buffs. A nice feature for the locals is that the specially constructed screen on the river is also visible for people without tickets, which gives also the passers-by the opportunity to view the programme there, making the festival more accessible and less highbrow or elitist.
This is my first visit to DokuFest and Prizren in general, but after being here for just three days I already feel at home in this picturesque city with it’s cobblestone streets, the bars along the river Drin, the many beautiful old mosques and the local youth strolling around the streets at night.
DokuFest is probably the largest cultural event of Kosovo, and has a big outreach in the region. Filmmakers press and visitors from all over the world gather in Prizren to meet each other, visit screenings and attend workshops. The whole city is transformed into a Walhalla for documentary and short movie-buffs. A nice feature for the locals is that the specially constructed screen on the river is also visible for people without tickets, which gives also the passers-by the opportunity to view the programme there, making the festival more accessible and less highbrow or elitist.
The festival seemingly has hundreds of local volunteers dressed in white shirts, giving directions, general information and working the DokuCamp where (mostly) young Kosovars stay for the festival. Generally the atmosphere is pretty relaxed, although the organisation is professional. Foreign guests and press can be facilitated into houses of local families, where you drink tea in the morning and use hands and legs to explain how much you enjoy being in Prizren. Since my own Albanian doesn’t go much further than faleminderit shumë (thank you very much) it’s good that most of the volunteers speak English.
Since Saturday I’ve visited three documentaries and movies: opening movie Nostalgia for the Light about the Atacema desert in Chile and the strange similarities between the astronomers working there in the enormous telescopes and the mothers and family members sifting the desert for the remains of their lost loved-ones that were murdered during the Pinochet dictatorship. A beautifully shot documentary, with spectacular images and touching interviews. Albeit a bit too long, the movie is definitely a worthwhile watch.
On Sunday I attended Village without Women, a rather hilarious portrayal of three brothers living in a tiny village somewhere close to Novi Pazar in Southern Serbia. The village has 7 inhabitants left, and the women all left for the bigger cities, which put the somewhat frustrated brothers in a dilemma: either they move or they try to find women willing to move to their house (where they sleep in the same room). The most determined brother in the end settles for a Belgrade dating agency that tries to match Serbian men with Albanian women that live on the other side of the valley. The movie is full of hilarious dialog and stereotypes that live on both sides of the border.
Today I chose to see two movies (Sretno Dijete and Bijelo Dugme) about the Yugorock music scene that flourished in the 70’s and 80’s and is still considered to be superior to contemporary music by people I’ve met over the years in the different countries of former Yugoslavia. Although I’ve seen Sretno Dijete before, the contrast between both documentaries probably gives food for thought and new blogs.
The film festival ends on Sunday, with the highly anticipated screenings of the 12 shorts Let England Shake that celebrated artist PJ Harvey made together with Seamus Murphy on Saturday. Rumours about a performance are going on for a couple of days now. The screening will take place in the magnificent outdoor Kino Bahce, which has a huge stage and a Q&A with PJ Harvey is confirmed already. But with or without an actual concert, DokuFest Prizren is the place to be in the last week in July.
Since Saturday I’ve visited three documentaries and movies: opening movie Nostalgia for the Light about the Atacema desert in Chile and the strange similarities between the astronomers working there in the enormous telescopes and the mothers and family members sifting the desert for the remains of their lost loved-ones that were murdered during the Pinochet dictatorship. A beautifully shot documentary, with spectacular images and touching interviews. Albeit a bit too long, the movie is definitely a worthwhile watch.
On Sunday I attended Village without Women, a rather hilarious portrayal of three brothers living in a tiny village somewhere close to Novi Pazar in Southern Serbia. The village has 7 inhabitants left, and the women all left for the bigger cities, which put the somewhat frustrated brothers in a dilemma: either they move or they try to find women willing to move to their house (where they sleep in the same room). The most determined brother in the end settles for a Belgrade dating agency that tries to match Serbian men with Albanian women that live on the other side of the valley. The movie is full of hilarious dialog and stereotypes that live on both sides of the border.
Today I chose to see two movies (Sretno Dijete and Bijelo Dugme) about the Yugorock music scene that flourished in the 70’s and 80’s and is still considered to be superior to contemporary music by people I’ve met over the years in the different countries of former Yugoslavia. Although I’ve seen Sretno Dijete before, the contrast between both documentaries probably gives food for thought and new blogs.
The film festival ends on Sunday, with the highly anticipated screenings of the 12 shorts Let England Shake that celebrated artist PJ Harvey made together with Seamus Murphy on Saturday. Rumours about a performance are going on for a couple of days now. The screening will take place in the magnificent outdoor Kino Bahce, which has a huge stage and a Q&A with PJ Harvey is confirmed already. But with or without an actual concert, DokuFest Prizren is the place to be in the last week in July.
